Look to the sky for your next exciting novel for young teens. In “Night Witches: A Novel of World War II” (Scholastic, $17.99, ages 12-16), Kathryn Lasky tells the story of a young girl who dreams of following in the steps of her older sister. While the main character is fictional, many of the events depicted have their basis in history.

Sixteen-year-old Valya wants to become a Night Witch, a member of the all-female Soviet night bomber regiment during World War II.

Valya, her older sister, Tatyana, and their mother are thrust suddenly into war when the German army invades the Soviet Union. Left behind when her sister leaves to fly with the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, Valya watches the swift U-2 trainers flown by the Night Witches from her apartment in Stalingrad.

She dreams of flying with her sister. “Open cockpit. No parachutes. In these fragile machines, the women of the 588th Regiment harass the German Sixth Army. The engines purr so softly that the Germans call them ‘sewing machines.’ But like small, sharp-beaked predatory birds, they will keep up the harassment until the dawn.”

Too young to join the People’s Volunteers and fly, Valya stays with her mother. Change comes fast and violently, as Ms. Lasky describes in realistic but never gratuitously violent detail.

Finding herself scared and alone, Valya follows the advice of a young Soviet sniper, Yuri. She attempts to leave the city before it falls to the Germans, but her escape on a ferry is foiled when the overloaded boat leaves her behind.

During the ensuing monthslong Battle of Stalingrad, Valya lives and fights with a local anti-aircraft unit. The unit tirelessly defends Stalingrad against advancing Panzer tanks.

She marvels at the destruction around her and the youth of the fighters she meets. At times she wonders how kids can be expected to defend themselves. In this way, Ms. Lasky paints a vivid scene of desperation and fear.

Valya manages to escape the city and finds the hidden base of the Night Witches. First as a mechanic, then as a navigator and finally as a pilot she fulfills her dream and flies with the Witches.

As the Nazis retreat after the Battle of Stalingrad, Valya and the Witches pursue them. They beat them back and punish them for the destruction of their city and the deaths of their friends, family and neighbors.

Once in the air, Valya quickly learns that she is fighting for more than just the freedom of her motherland. She is also fighting for her family and for what she believes in.

Ms. Lasky intertwines a chronicle of the Eastern Front during World War II, the connection between a young girl and her sister, and the gripping story of the Night Witches.

The author doesn’t shy away from addressing difficult topics head-on. As she fights, Valya must grapple with the parallels between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin’s tight rule. She meets children and neighbors who blindly follow the orders of the secret police and must contend with paralyzing paranoia.

While flying, Valya’s understanding of duty is challenged. And as the war continues and German internment and prisoner of war camps are uncovered, Valya can’t reconcile the similarities between the camps and the gulags, Soviet prison camps.

Valya’s love for her sister is the source of her strength as a fighter, and Ms. Lasky successfully captures the competitive but supportive relationships that sisters often have. Tatyana is motivated by her desire to keep Valya safe. Any reader who is, or has, a younger sibling will relate to Valya’s commitment and competitive spirit.

Although Valya’s experiences are emotionally wrenching, the most dynamic storyline is that of the Night Witches themselves. Ms. Lasky clearly captures the motivations and humanity of these female pilots. Their tireless commitment to protecting their homeland and, most importantly, each other, is clear.

Each plane held two women, one pilot and one navigator. The light biplanes could carry only so much weight, forcing each team to make several flights each night, stopping to rearm with more bombs. Without lights, parachutes or radios, the pilots strategically took out munitions, railroads and other German strongholds.

There were efforts to integrate the night bombers with male bombers. But Valya’s regiment, the real-life 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, remained all female throughout the war.

The historical context that Ms. Lasky includes can feel overwhelming at times. Despite this, “Night Witches” is a captivating page-turner, sure to delight fans of “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein and readers of historical fiction.

Caitie Morphew is the children’s and teen librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny branch on the North Side.

First Published: August 20, 2017, 4:00 a.m.